Aloisi pushing for Australian to replace Postecoglou

SOCCER: Brisbane Roar coach John Aloisi says an Australian should replace Ange Postecoglou as Socceroos coach rather than a foreigner be appointed.

Postecoglou is set to quit as Socceroos coach next month after Australia's intercontinental playoff against Honduras, even if his team is successful in qualifying for next year's World Cup.

Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold has been touted as the favourite to replace Postecoglou, while fellow Australians Tony Popovic, Ante Milicic and Kevin Muscat have also been named as contenders.

A host of foreign coaches have also been thrown up, including former Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink, fellow Dutchman Bert van Marwijk, who guided Saudi Arabia to 2018 World Cup qualification only to quit soon after, and Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari.

However, Aloisi, who played under Hiddink at the 2006 World Cup, was adamant an Australian coach was needed for the Socceroos.

"We (Australian coaches) know the culture here in Australia, we know the mentality of the Australian players so I feel that it should be an Australian,” Aloisi said.

"As a player I really felt that putting on that jersey meant something and as a coach, I feel that a national team coach, if he's Australian, really feels something.

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou watches on at training.JULIAN SMITH

"Ange has shown it, winning the Asian Cup, (and) he's shown what he's done (with) the amount of players he's brought through the national team to go on to bigger and better things. Aaron Mooy's a prime example.

"These players here, he's given them an opportunity because he's believed in them from watching them in the A-League.

"I don't think the foreign coaches we've had in the past believe in what we're doing here in Australia. They don't believe in the A-League as much as us Australians do.”

As for his own national team coaching ambitions, Aloisi said "every Australian coach's dream is to one day coach the Socceroos”.

"(But) at the moment I'm focused on Brisbane Roar,” he said in looking ahead to Brisbane's clash with Adelaide United at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.